I feel very accomplished this year, as I managed to get this list down to a ‘mere’ dozen. At one point early on I was adding an additional book to the list each year, which was not so bad when I began in 2011 with 11 books, but started to get VERY unwieldy as I got to 2018 or thereabouts. After last year’s list of 20 books, I decided to try to keep it down. It’s not that I didn’t have WAY MORE books to choose from, but that the list starts to lose its meaning if it gets too long.
It still feels a bit like “killing my darlings” to make the final cuts. (I’m aware that I tend to have a LOT of reviews come out at A-. That’s because if a book isn’t worth at least a B I’m not likely to finish it unless something about it grabs me in spite of whatever parts of it aren’t working for me. Very much c’est la reading vie.)
This list represents the books I loved most and thought the most highly of that were also published this year for the first time in the U.S. (The whittling got desperate, SERIOUSLY!) But if you’d prefer to see the entire list I had to choose from, here’s the very short list of my A++ reads, AND here’s the somewhat longer list of my ‘mere’ A+ books. Just in case you’re looking for a few more good books to read!
Without further ado, as 2025 wends its way towards some ending, I present to you Reading Reality’s Best Books of 2025! Happy Reading!
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz A+
The Black Wolf by Louise Penny A++
Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff A+
A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett A++
Edge by Tracy Clark A+
Head Cases by John McMahon A+
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher A+
The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish A+
Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race A++
Spider to the Fly by J.H. Markert A+
Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz A+
The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan A+
Most of my books are rated 5 star so it’s difficult to choose a few. Today it’s 🥁
1 Darkside by Michael Mammay
2 Star Cruise Captains Sequel by Veronica Scott
3 Star Cruise Captains Story by Veronica Scott. Really, just one story in 2 novellas.
4 Orbital by Samantha Harvey
5 See how they Hide by Allison Brennan
6 Kills well with others by Deanna Raybourne
7 The summer guests by Tess Gerritson
8 Bonded in death by JD Robb. I did a massive reread of all 60 odd books this year, and this one was standout
9 Cold Truth by Toni Anderson. Lots of digs at gazillionaires
10 Lion Hearts by Dan Jones
11 Mirage by Camilla Lackberg. What an ending. Wow
Gill
Wow! I love your list. I’m also happy to see DARKSIDE as I love that whole series. (BTW the next book, BLINDSIDE is also terrific!) I also share your love of the In Death series and Quinn & Costa. A great story is always so much fun to read!
Marlene Harris recently posted..Best Books of 2025
Yes, looking forward to the next Carl Butler book. Due next year I think. I’m currently reading Confessions of a Trash Droid by Michael Cheney, and enjoying it so far. Quite humerous, with Murderbot tones to it. About 6 more in the series. Good job they’re in KU
Thanks for the Trash Droid recommendation, it looks like great fun. Butler’s next outing, Blindside, will be coming at the end of March. I reviewed it for Library Journal and it was excellent – as Butler always is!
Marlene Harris recently posted..A- #AudioBookReview: You Better Not Pout by Mia Sosa
Nice picks.
Angela (Angel’s Book Nook) recently posted..Day 25: Christmas Day ~ 31 Days of Books a December Countdown to 2026